Global fight against novel coronavirus: Clearing up misconceptions

Misconception one: The danger of the coronavirus is exaggerated

Although the virus was first detected in China, the origin of the virus remains unknown.

Although bats are the suspected host, the intermediate host of the virus has not yet been identified.

The current novel coronavirus only has two sub-types so far, namely L and S, and it remains unknown whether the virus will mutate, or whether it will become stronger.

Even though an effective vaccine might be developed in a few months, all that labor will be lost if the virus mutates greatly.

Therefore, this is by no means an epidemic we are familiar with. Instead, it is a pandemic that could kill millions of lives. The whole world needs a highest-level sense of crisis and urgency, and to immediately take firm, coordinated action.

Misconception two: Regarding the nature of the outbreak and the battle against the virus

The current battle against the virus is a deadly war between human and virus. It is not about ethnic, national, institutional or ideological differences.

Countries should not be divided by ideology. Nor should they accuse, blame or stand against each other, fight for power, or even ideologically misrepresent and stigmatize China's effective prevention and control measures.

China, as the first country to detect and fight the novel coronavirus, has accumulated experience and learned lessons at an enormous cost, which should be used for the benefit of humankind.

Misconception three: Regarding freedom and individuals, lives and groups

It is natural to advocate freedom. Freedom is part of life.

However, when human beings are confronted with powerful predators or major disasters, any individual's power will be small and fragile, and fail to overcome the large-scale foe or escape disasters.

Only when people are armed and organized with the consciousness of common interests, unite together, help each other and restrain ourselves in a unified way, can we defeat the virus and survive the disaster.